1. Technological Field
The disclosure relates generally to the fields of content and/or data delivery over a network. In one exemplary aspect, the disclosure is related to apparatus and methods for downloading selected multimedia content and applications that enable various options or functionalities for programming content over a home network.
2. Description of Related Technology
Recent advances in digital information processing and technology have made a broad range of services and functions available for delivery to consumers at their premises for very reasonable prices or subscription fees. Various methods of delivering media content such as video to end-users or consumers are known. For example, when the consumer requests television services (such as from a cable, satellite, or terrestrial network service provider), the service provider generally installs a host or terminal device, such as a set-top box (STB) or a gateway device configured to provide content to other devices in communication with the gateway (such as a wireless mobile device) that has access to the media content at the consumer's premises under a lease arrangement. Additionally, content may be provided to other consumer devices via communication of the service provider to entities in other networks. The service provider (e.g., multiple systems operator or MSO) delivers the content over the various channels subscribed by a particular user, as determined by a network or other content source, via the MSO distribution network and STB, or via other network configurations and entities as discussed above. Hence, the foregoing services may be provided and delivered to the user via a wide variety of different equipment environments including, inter cilia, cable modems, Wi-Fi™ hubs, WiMAX nodes, Ethernet hubs, gateways, switches and routers, computers, mobile user device, servers, cable or satellite networks and associated set-top boxes, and PSTNs.
These services and functions include digital content or programming (movies, etc.) delivered over digital video-on-demand (VOD), personal video recorder (PVR) and networked PVR (nPVR), Internet Protocol television (IPTV), digital media playback and recording, as well high speed Internet access and IP-based telephony (e.g., VoIP). Other services available to network users include access to, and recording of, digital music (e.g., MP3 files), as well local area networking (including wire-line and wireless local area networks) for distributing these services throughout the user's premises, and beyond. Network-delivered or network-based gaming and applications (“apps”) have also each recently come to the forefront as popular content areas for subscribers.
The aforementioned STB or other MSO-provided devices accomplish video decoding, conditional access (CA) decryption, and display of a user interface. These STBs and devices however are often limited in processing power and memory, which makes it difficult for network operators to provide more full-featured services such as contemporary user interfaces, interactive program guides (IPGs), and interactive TV applications. Currently, STB user interfaces are typically provided by way of largely monolithic applications downloaded to each STB. Furthermore, two-way (or interactive) communications are limited to low-bandwidth commands and requests for on-demand sessions and video “trick mode” control, necessitating user content to be “carouselled” to each STB on a one-way broadcast network.
Network operators have been working on software solutions to overcome the aforementioned limitations on STBs and other Consumer Owned Devices (CODs). Enhanced Binary Interchange Format (EBIF), tru2way (based on the OpenCable Application Platform), CableCard, and other proprietary solutions have been deployed to create richer user interfaces, better on-screen guides, and interactive applications. Additionally, updated functionality in consumer electronic device technology has given MSOs the ability to explore delivering multimedia content in new ways. Smart TVs, STBs, PCs and mobile devices including smartphones and tablets/“phablets” now routinely include browser capability and can request on-demand content, connect to social networking services and engage in various interactive entertainment deployments.
However, many challenges remain in providing a seamless and user-friendly experience on any device at any time. Despite efforts to standardize digital video services, digital video is still typically provided via complex software downloaded on operator-leased devices, making it difficult to keep each such device up-to-date and capable of managing, viewing, recording, storing and sharing media content with a variety of peripheral devices and their ever-evolving operating systems. Furthermore, implementing interactive features without sacrificing network bandwidth and complying with content protection requirements has only made the task of providing video to a wide range of consumer devices more difficult.
The increased presence of home networking technologies in the average household affords network operators an emerging opportunity; i.e., to take advantage of the Internet and cloud-based applications in the context of digital video services. In particular, ubiquitous access to high-speed networks, robust browser implementation on all classes of electronic devices (including handhelds, tablets, and TVs), and widespread use of network tools (e.g., HTML5, CSS and Javascript) would allow operators to make their distribution system compatible with non-leased devices and enable new implementations of the traditional operator applications by merging data and logic into the network for a far more interactive user experience. However, extant implementations of managed networks are currently not well suited to support service discovery and use by way of non-leased “consumer” electronic devices which are now ubiquitous with users, so as to provide enhanced integration and “seamlessness” of service.
Therefore, what is needed is a methodology and apparatus for enabling non-leased devices to discover services on a network so that features currently available only through leased operator devices can be replaced or supplemented with other delivery (e.g., web-based) technologies adapted for non-leased devices.